Bathing cap

ABSTRACT

A bathing cap, a crown portion of which has a loose fit on the wearer&#39;&#39;s head and a marginal portion of which has a stretch fit around the wearer&#39;&#39;s head. An air seal is effected between the marginal edge portion and the wearer&#39;&#39;s head by an elastic inflatable tube which extends around inside the cap adjacent to the marginal edge portion. The inflatable tube and the crown portion are inflated by air filler tubes which are long enough to reach the wearer&#39;&#39;s mouth when the cap is being worn and which can thereafter be tied in a decorative knot.

[ Dec. 18, 1973 12/1969 Hanford et 2/68 ABSTRACT A bathing cap, a crown portion of which has a loose fit on the wearers head and a marginal portion of which has a stretch fit around the wearers head. An air seal is effected between the marginal edge portion and the wearers head by an elastic inflatable tube which extends around inside the cap adjacent to the marginal edge portion. The inflatable tube and the wmm at h e .wefi h e wwb S r e e bmfl s w u mr u e e g l S l m r F e .u m m awe m wh m m h D m w a 2 m m .l%& l m mm m oon C m 1 h n m w ui Oea nbr. e o wg m on d r 3 clca Primary Examiner-H. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Brian J. Wood Susan Grace Norie, PO. Box 217, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada Nov. 27, 1972 Appl. No.: 309,626

Field of Search..........................

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS United States Patent Norie BATHING CAP [76] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

S n e B r e B BATHING CAP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to bathing caps and in particular to caps designed for wear by ladies having hairdoes, such as the bouffant type.

2. Prior Art Bathing caps have, conventionally, been so constructed as to have a tight snug fit on a wearers head particularly at the marginal edge portion of the cap so as to reduce the likelihood of water entering the cap and wetting the wearers hair. In caps in which the snug fit is obtained by tension alone the cap does not completely conform to the contour of the head, being stretched tightly across flat portions and protuberances and providing spaces between the edge portion and the head where it crosses depressions.

Caps have been designed with an inflatable tube extending around the marginal edge to obtain conformity with the head profile and thus attain a somewhat watertight fit. Caps of prior design although affording, in some cases adequate protection against water seepage, tend to compress the wearers hair against the head this effectively ruining an expensive coiffure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a bathing cap which provides an effective water seal to reduce the likelihood of water entering beneath the cap to wet the wearers hair and which also provides a required looseness of fit over the wearers crown so as to avoid damaging an expensive hair-do.

The bathing cap of the present invention has a crown portion formed of thin pliant resilient material ofa size and shape to fit the wearer's head loosely, and a marginal edge portion which has a snug stretch fit around the wearers head. An inflatable elastic tube is secured inside the cap at the marginal edge portion. Air filler tubes extend into the inflatable tube and the crown portion of the bathing cap to enable the inflatable tube and' the crown portion to be inflated by the wearer when the cap is disposed on her head, the tubes being long enough to enable them to be tied together in a decorative bow.

A detailed description following related to drawings gives exemplification of preferred embodiment of the invention which, however, is capable of expression in a structure other than that particularly described and illustrated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a bathing cap in accordance with the invention disposed on a wearer's head.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION be stretched to fit around the wearers head. As seen in FIG. 2 the crown portion is relatively thin and the marginal edge portion is thickened by an encircling tension strap 14. The tension strap 14 is rubber or other suitable elastic material and can be secured to the crown portion by a suitable adhesive. It will be understood that the crown portion and the tension strap can also be molded as an integral unit.

An inflatable tube 15 extends around and is secured to the marginal edge portion inside the cap. The tube 15 is formed of a thin strip of rubber or other suitable elastic material which is secured at its marginal edges l6-16 by a suitable means such as a rubber adhesive. The tube 15 can also be incorporated integrally with the cap during moulding.

A first filler tube 17 extends through the tension strap and marginal edge portion of the cap and opens into the tube 15. The filler tube 17 has an integral flange 18 which is adhesively secured to the tension strap 14.

A second filler tube 19 extends through the crown portion of the cap adjacent the filler tube 17 and is secured to the crown portion in the same manner as the filler tube 17 is secured. The tubes 17 and 19 are located one above the other or in close proximity and are ofa length so that when the cap if fitted over the wearers head they can reach the wearer's mouth so that air can be blown into the crown portion of the cap and into the tube 15. Both tubes 17 and 19 can be closed by conventional plugs 2l--21.

OPERATION In use, the bathing cap is fitted over the wearers head with the marginal edge portion low enough to cover the hair. The wearer can then inflate the tube 15 sufficicntly to effect an air tight seal and then inflate the crown. The tubes 17 and 19 can then be plugged and are then tied in a decorative knot. The knot also closes the tubes to prevent loss of air should the plugs 17-17 loosen.

The tension strip 14, it is seen, provides sufficient constrictive force to effect a tight grip of the marginal edge portion about the head while the inflated tube conforms to skull anomalies so as, not only to provide an effective water and air seal but to serve as a cushion to obviate possible discomfort of the constricting lower marginal edge of the cap.

It is to be understood that only enough air is blown into the crown portion of the cap to inflate it sufficiently so that it rides clear of the hair. Very slight positive pressure is required due to the thinness of the material of the crown portion thus preventing the cap from lifting off the head. The slight positive pressure however of the air trapped between the wearers head and the cap crown portion further enhances the water seal effected by the inflatable tube 15.

Furthermore, although the filler tubes are functional in nature they also serve a decorative purpose as they can be tied into a decorative knot to resemble a flower or the like.

I claim:

1. An inflatable bathing cap including:

a. an inflatable crown portion formed of a pliant resilient material and being of a size, when in a state of repose. substantially larger than the wearer's head,

b. an elastic marginal edge portion adapted to have a snug fit around wearer's head,

g. the first and second filler tubes being of sufficient length to reach the wearer's mouth when the cap is placed on the head so that air can be blown by mouth into the inflatable tube and into the inflatable crown portion of the cap and being disposed closely adjacent to one another so as to enable them to be tied into a knot so as to prevent escape of air. 

1. An inflatable bathing cap including: a. an inflatable crown portion formed of a pliant resilient material and being of a size, when in a state of repose, substantially larger than the wearer''s head, b. an elastic marginal edge portion adapted to have a snug fit around wearer''s head, c. an elastic tension strap encircling the cap exteriorally of the marginal edge portion to effect a snug fit of the marginal edge portion about the wearer''s head, d. an elastic inflatable tube extending around the marginal edge portion inside the cap, e. a first air filler tube extending through the marginal edge portion into the inflatable tube, f. a second air filler tube extending into the inflatable crown portion of the cap, g. the first and second filler tubes being of sufficient lenGth to reach the wearer''s mouth when the cap is placed on the head so that air can be blown by mouth into the inflatable tube and into the inflatable crown portion of the cap and being disposed closely adjacent to one another so as to enable them to be tied into a knot so as to prevent escape of air. 